To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what change there has been in the time
taken to process War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims since 2010.
<p>The combined effects of the implementation of the Boyce Review on the Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the increase in the number of applications for War
Disablement Pension, as a result of more people with pre-April 2005 Service reaching
the end of their engagement, led to delays in processing prospective claims for these
schemes.</p><p> </p><p>Actions were therefore put in place which had the effect of
reducing the on-hand cases in the AFCS by half and the programme has returned to target.
In War Disablement Pension the on-hand cases have fallen by 35% and waiting times
have reduced.</p><p> </p><p>The average length of time taken to process War Pension
and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims since 2010 can be found below:</p><p>
</p><p>WAR PENSIONS SCHEME</p><p> </p><p>2010-11 - 39 working days</p><p>2011-12 -
51 working days</p><p>2012-13 - 82 working days</p><p>2013-14 - 110 working days</p><p>2014-15
(as at 21 October 2014) - 103 working days</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>ARMED FORCES COMPENSATION
SCHEME</p><p> </p><p>2010-11 - 93 working days</p><p>2011-12 - 125 working days</p><p>2012-13
- 164 working days</p><p>2013-14 - 109 working days</p><p>2014-15 (as at 21 October
2014) - 89 working days</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the factors
responsible for delays in processing injured Armed Forces veterans' War Pension and
Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims.
<p>The combined effects of the implementation of the Boyce Review on the Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the increase in the number of applications for War
Disablement Pension, as a result of more people with pre-April 2005 Service reaching
the end of their engagement, led to delays in processing prospective claims for these
schemes.</p><p> </p><p>Actions were therefore put in place which had the effect of
reducing the on-hand cases in the AFCS by half and the programme has returned to target.
In War Disablement Pension the on-hand cases have fallen by 35% and waiting times
have reduced.</p><p> </p><p>The average length of time taken to process War Pension
and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claims since 2010 can be found below:</p><p>
</p><p>WAR PENSIONS SCHEME</p><p> </p><p>2010-11 - 39 working days</p><p>2011-12 -
51 working days</p><p>2012-13 - 82 working days</p><p>2013-14 - 110 working days</p><p>2014-15
(as at 21 October 2014) - 103 working days</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>ARMED FORCES COMPENSATION
SCHEME</p><p> </p><p>2010-11 - 93 working days</p><p>2011-12 - 125 working days</p><p>2012-13
- 164 working days</p><p>2013-14 - 109 working days</p><p>2014-15 (as at 21 October
2014) - 89 working days</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on
the number of former Gurkhas who left service on or after 1 July 1997 and transferred
to Armed Forces Pension Scheme who are receiving less benefit than if they had remained
in the Gurkha Pension Scheme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on encouraging
access to credit unions for members of the armed forces and their families; and if
he will make a statement.
<p>Further to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 6 October 2014, Question UIN 208271
refers, we continue to make progress on this issue. As stated previously, we fully
endorse existing, strong credit unions expanding their membership to the Armed Forces
community.</p><p> </p><p>I met Lord Kennedy on 15 October 2014 to discuss the matter
of credit unions for members of the Armed Forces. I confirmed that the facilitation
of payroll deduction for credit unions is technically possible and our payroll provider
is engaged with officials to scope and cost such deductions. Further work is under
way to determine the criteria for access to this facility, and to develop an education
campaign for our personnel to enable them to make informed financial choices.</p><p>
</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many allegations of (a) sexual assault,
(b) exposure, (c) voyeurism, (d) sexual activity in a public lavatory, (e) rape and
(f) other forms of sexual misconduct have been recorded by the Crime Statistics and
Analysis Cell in each month since April 2014 relating to the (i) Army, (ii) Navy,
(iii) RAF and (iv) reservists; and if he will make a statement.
<p>The table shows the number of allegations of rape, sexual assault, exposure, voyeurism,
and other forms of sexual misconduct, recorded by the Service police in each month
since April 2014 up to 24 October 2014, broken down by Service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April 2014</p></td><td><p>May
2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August 2014</p></td><td><p>September
2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="8"><p><strong>Number
Of Rape Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British Army</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Navy</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Air Force</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Sexual Assault (By Penetration) Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Sexual Assault (No Penetration) Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Navy</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Air Force</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number of Exposure Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Voyeurism Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Royal
Air Force</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p><strong>Number Of Other Sexual Offences Under The Sexual Offences Act
2003 Allegations</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Month/Service</p></td><td><p>April
2014</p></td><td><p>May 2014</p></td><td><p>June 2014</p></td><td><p>July 2014</p></td><td><p>August
2014</p></td><td><p>September 2014</p></td><td><p>October 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British
Army</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:
The table only details investigations where the appropriate Service police have jurisdiction
and investigative lead.</p><p>The allegation recorded against each Service is that
of the victim.</p><p> </p><p>No such allegations have been reported to the Service
police in respect of sexual activity in public lavatory or from any of the Reserve
Forces for the period detailed in the above tables.</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to address the
issues raised with him by the First Minsiter of Northern Ireland concerning the transfer
of the former St Lucia barracks in Omagh to the Northern Ireland Executive.
<p>The majority of St Lucia Barracks has been transferred to the Office of First Minister/Deputy
First Minister as part of the Hillsborough agreement. The remainder is in the process
of being transferred.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made in
assessing the systems used by (a) his Department, (b) the Army, (c) the Navy and (d)
the RAF for recording service complaints; and if he will make a statement.
<p>Accurate data is clearly important for assessing the efficiency and effectiveness
of the complaints process. Service complaints data is captured by all three Services
on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. The system and the supporting
guidance for users have been refined following internal audits of JPA's effectiveness
and extent of its use in 2008 and 2012.</p><p>A third audit is being carried out to
review the adequacy and effectiveness of actions taken in response to the audit in
2012. The Service Complaints Commissioner is fully involved in the audit.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports of allegations of (a)
sexual assault, (b) exposure, (c) voyeurism, (d) sexual activity in a public lavatory
and (e) other forms of sexual misconduct were made by commanding officers to each
of the service police forces in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014 to date; and if he will make
a statement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nursery places his Department
offers; how many applications there have been for those places in each year since
2010; and how many of the nursery places are occupied.
<p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 March 2014, (Official Report,
column 720W) to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson).</p><p>
</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many nursery places his Department
offers; how many applications have there been for such places in each year since 2010;
and how many such places currently on offer are occupied.
<p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 March 2014, (Official Report,
column 720W) to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson).</p><p>
</p><p> </p>